No Man Is An Island Poem by John Donne - Poem Hunter No Man Is An Island Poem by John Donne - Poem Hunter No Man Is An Island - Poem by John Donne Autoplay next video No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. next poem » Poet's Notes about The Poem These famous words by John Donne were not originally written as a poem - the passage is taken from the 1624 Meditation 17, from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and is prose.

The words of the original passage are as follows: John Donne Meditation 17 Devotions upon Emergent Occasions 'No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee....' 'No man is an island' - the meaning and origin of this phrase Famous Last Words Browse phrases beginning with: No man is an island Meaning Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. Donne was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism. Origin This is a quotation from John Donne (1572-1631).

It appears in Devotions upon emergent occasions and seuerall steps in my sicknes - Meditation XVII, 1624: "All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls ; it tolls for thee." 'For whom the bell tolls' - the meaning and origin of this phrase For whom the bell tolls more like this... Religion Meaning A quotation from a work by John Donne, in which he explores the interconnectedness of humanity - see below.

Origin John Donne (1572-1631), Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris: "Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. ... No man is an island , entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." Donne lived in Tudor and Stewart England, and at that time the tolling of church bells to mark various events was an important feature of daily life.

The tolling referred to in the quotation is, of course, that of funeral bells. Donne's view, which has, oddly for a 17th century Christian, much in common with 21st century eastern religions, was that all people are socially and spiritually interconnected; for example, the contemporary Buddhist view is demonstrated by the reply given by the Dalai Lama, when asked during a visit to Northern Ireland how the warring Protestants and Catholics could co-exist: "Remember we are all one - all the same". Donne seems to be saying that whatever affects one affects us all. This is highlighted by the famous 'no man is an island' line at the beginning of the 'for whom the bells tolls' paragraph. Donne's Meditations concern man's spiritual and social functioning, especially with regard to illness and death. They are somewhat mystical and difficult to interpret, especially without the benefit of experience of the nuances of the social and religious sensibilities of a 17th century Englishman. It is a testament to Donne's insight that the work contains much that strikes deep chords with people living and dying today. There's some debate about what precisely what was meant.

Some think that Donne was simply pointing out people's mortality and that when a funeral bell was heard it was a reminder that we are nearer death each day, that is, the bell is tolling for us. Others view it more mystically and argue that Donne is saying we are all one and that, when one dies, we all die a little. This isn't as bleak as it might sound, as the counterpoint would be that there is some part of the living in the dead and that we continue a form of life after death. Ernest Hemingway helped to make the phrase commonplace in the language when he chose to use the quotation for the title of his 1940-published book about the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway refers back to 'for whom the bells tolls' and to 'no man is an island' to demonstrate and examine his feelings of solidarity with the allied groups fighting the fascists. There was a strong feeling amongst many intellectuals around the world at the time that it was a moral duty to fight fascism, which they feared may take root world-wide if not checked.

This view was given voice later in the well-known poem First They Came for the Jews, attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller: First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. Hemingway adapted the novel as the screenplay to a successful 1943 film of the same title, starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. proverbs - Meaning of "no man is an island, entire by itself" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange 4 Though it may be a quotation no man is an island is entrenched in English as a proverb. Every proverb had to be started by someone, and others who repeated it were quoting that someone. – Kaz Mar 2 '13 at 10:05 3 @Kaz.

The OED’s definition of a proverb is ‘a short, traditional, and pithy saying; a concise sentence, typically metaphorical or alliterative in form, stating a general truth or piece of advice; an adage or maxim’, so you might say that that makes the Donne quotation a proverb. I wouldn’t. Because its authorship is so readily identifiable, it seems to make more sense to describe it as a quotation. Otherwise, where does it end? Are all well-known quotations to be described as proverbs? – Barrie England Mar 2 '13 at 10:28 2 Quite a few proverbs were co-authored by Solomon. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 2 '13 at 10:45 3 @Edwin Ashworth. The authorship of the scriptures cannot be so confidently asserted as the authorship of the works of the English canon.

– Barrie England Mar 2 '13 at 10:50 @BarrieEngland: While it is good to give credit where credit is due--and scholarly pursuits can be helpful, to make a fetish of finding the source of memorable words can be unprofitable and clearly less important than grasping the meaning and significance of those words. How they speak wisdom to the human condition, and through their power enhance and affirm the dignity of the human race, far surpasses in importance the search for who wrote (or spoke) precisely what and where and when. The power of words to edify, instruct, inspire, and comfort should ever be our primary focus. Amen. – rhetorician May 8 '13 at 17:39 John Donne, Meditation XVII: No Man Is An Island John Donne Meditation XVII : No man is an island...

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." This famous meditation of Donne's puts forth two essential ideas which are representative of the Renaissance era in which it was written: The idea that people are not isolated from one another, but that mankind is interconnected; and The vivid awareness of mortality that seems a natural outgrowth of a time when death was the constant companion of life. Donne brings these two themes together to affirm that any one man's death diminishes all of mankind, since all mankind is connected; yet that death itself is not so much to be feared as it at first seems.

Join us in exploring these two main themes, which we have associated with the two controlling images of the meditation...the island and the bell. 'No Man is an Island' - John Donne Home | Contents 'No Man is an Island' No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Olde English Version No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. MEDITATION XVII Devotions upon Emergent Occasions John Donne John Donne - Wikiquote John Donne Jump to: navigation , search Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde ; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. John Donne ( 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631 ) was a Jacobean metaphysical poet . His works include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, and sermons. Contents Though Truth and Falsehood be Near twins, yet Truth a little elder is.

I have done one braver thing Than all the Worthies did; And yet a braver thence doth spring, Which is to keep that hid. Though Truth and Falsehood be Near twins, yet Truth a little elder is. Satyre III (c. 1598) Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil's foot, Teach me to hear mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy's stinging, And find Serves to advance an honest mind. Song (Go and Catch a Falling Star), stanza 1 And swear Lives a woman true and fair. If thou find'st one, let me know, Such a pilgrimage were sweet; Yet do not, I would not go, Though at next door we might meet, Though she were true, when you met her, And last, till you write your letter, Yet she False, ere I come, to two, or three. Song (Go and Catch a Falling Star), stanzas 2-3 I have done one braver thing Than all the Worthies did; And yet a braver thence doth spring, Which is to keep that hid.

The Undertaking, stanza 1 But he who loveliness within Hath found, all outward loathes, For he who color loves, and skin, Loves but their oldest clothes. The Undertaking, stanza 4 And dare love that, and say so too, And forget the He and She. The Undertaking, stanza 5 Busy old fool, unruly Sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run? The Sun Rising, stanza 1 Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time. The Sun Rising, stanza 1 She is all states, and all princes, I, Nothing else is. The Sun Rising, stanza 3 For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love. The Canonization, stanza 1 The Phoenix riddle hath more wit By us, we two being one, are it. So to one neutral thing both sexes fit, We die and rise the same, and prove Mysterious by this love. As well a well-wrought urn becomes The greatest ashes, as half-acre tombs.

The Canonization, stanza 4 I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry. The Triple Fool, stanza 1 Who are a little wise, the best fools be. The Triple Fool, stanza 2 Sweetest love, I do not go, For weariness of thee, Nor in hope the world can show A fitter love for me; But since that I Must die at last, 'tis best, To use my self in jest Thus by feigned deaths to die. Song (Sweetest Love, I Do Not Go), stanza 1 Yesternight the sun went hence, And yet is here today. Song (Sweetest Love, I Do Not Go), stanza 2 But think that we Are but turned aside to sleep. Song (Sweetest Love, I Do Not Go), stanza 5 When I died last, and dear, I die As often as from thee I go. The Legacy, stanza 1 Oh do not die, for I shall hate All women so, when thou art gone. A Fever, stanza 1 Twice and thrice had I loved thee, Before I knew thy face or name.

Air and Angels, stanza 1 'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be? O wilt thou therefore rise from me? Why should we rise, because 'tis light? Did we lie down, because 'twas night? Love which in spite of darkness brought us hither Should in despite of light keep us together. Break of Day, stanza 1 All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by a year, now, than it was When thou and I first one another saw: All other things, to their destruction draw, Only our love hath no decay; This, no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday, Running, it never runs from us away, But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day. The Anniversary, stanza 1 Let us love nobly, and live, and add again Years and years unto years, till we attain To write threescore: this is the second of our reign. The Anniversary, last stanza Send home my long strayed eyes to me, Which (Oh) too long have dwelt on thee.

The Message, stanza 1 The world's whole sap is sunk: The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interred; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph. A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day, stanza 1 For I am every dead thing, In whom love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness He ruined me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death; things which are not. A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day, stanza 2 Come live with me, and be my love, And we will some new pleasures prove Of golden sands, and crystal brooks, With silken lines, and silver hooks. The Bait, stanza 1 (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit Absence, because it doth remove Those things which elemented it.

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, stanza 4 Our two souls therefore which are one, Though I must go, endure not yet A breach, but an expansion, Like gold to airy thinness beat. A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, stanza 6 If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two, Thy soul the fixt foot, makes no show To move, but doth, if the other do. A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, stanza 7 Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread Our eyes, upon one double string; So to entergraft our hands, as yet Was all the means to make us one, And pictures in our eyes to get Was all our propagation. We then, who are this new soul, know Of what we are compos'd and made, For th' atomies of which we grow Are souls, whom no change can invade. But oh alas, so long, so far, Our bodies why do we forbear? They'are ours, though they'are not we; we are The intelligences, they the spheres.

The Extasy, line 45 That subtle knot which makes us man: So must pure lovers' souls descend T' affections, and to faculties, Which sense may reach and apprehend, Else a great Prince in prison lies. The Extasy, line 64 Love's mysteries in souls do grow, But yet the body is his book. The Extasy, line 71 I long to talk with some old lover's ghost, Who died before the god of love was born. Love's Deity, stanza 1 To rage, to lust, to write to, to commend, All is the purlieu of the god of love. Love's Deity, stanza 3 Who ever comes to shroud me, do not harm Nor question much That subtle wreth of hair, which crowns my arm; The mystery, the sign you must not touch, For 'tis my outward soul, Viceroy to that, which then to heaven being gone, Will leave this to control, And keep these limbs, her provinces, from dissolution. The Funeral, stanza 1 A bracelet of bright hair about the bone. The Relic, stanza 1 Take heed of loving me.

The Prohibition, stanza 1 So, so, break off this last lamenting kiss, Which sucks two souls, and vapors both away. The Expiration, stanza 1 As well as cocks and lions jocund be, After such pleasures? Farewell to Love, stanza 3 Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls; For, thus friends absent speak. Verse Letter to Sir Henry Woton, written before April 1598, line 1 And new philosophy calls all in doubt, The element of fire is quite put out; The sun is lost, and the earth, and no man's wit, Can well direct him where to look for it. And freely men confess that this world's spent, When in the planets, and the firmament They seek so many new; then see that this Is crumbled out again to his atomies. 'Tis all in pieces, all coherence gone; All just supply, and all relation: Prince, subject, Father, Son, are things forgot. An Anatomy of the World, The First Anniversary We understood Her by her sight; her pure, and eloquent blood Spoke in her cheeks, and so distinctly wrought, That one might almost say, her body thought.

Of the Progress of the Soul, The Second Anniversary Since I am coming to that holy room, Where, with thy choir of saints forevermore, I shall be made thy music; as I come I tune the instrument here at the door, And what I must do then, think here before. Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness, stanza 1 Whilst my physicians by their love are grown Cosmographers, and their map, who lie Flat on this bed. Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness, stanza 2 When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me, when the ambitious man shall have no satisfaction if the poorest alive tread upon him, nor the poorest receive any contentment in being made equal to princes, for they shall be equal but in dust. XXVI Sermons, No. 26, Death's Duel, last sermon, February 15, 1631 Absence, hear thou my protestation Against thy strength, Do what thou canst for alteration Poem Present in Absence [1] Attribution likely but not proven [2] Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies. No.

2, The Anagram, line 27 Nature's lay idiot, I taught thee to love. No. 7, Natures Lay Idiot, line 1 She, and comparisons are odious. No. 8, The Comparison, line 54. Compare: "Comparisons are odious", John Fortescue , De Laudibus Leg. Angliæ, Chap. xix; "Comparisons are odorous", William Shakespeare , Much Ado About Nothing , act iii, scene v No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace, As I have seen in one autumnal face. No. 9, The Autumnal, line 1 The heavens rejoice in motion, why should I Abjure my so much loved variety. No. 17, Variety, line 1 Who ever loves, if he do not propose The right true end of love, he's one that goes To sea for nothing but to make him sick. No. 18, Love's Progress, line 1 The Sestos and Abydos of her breasts Not of two lovers, but two loves the nests. No. 18, Love's Progress, line 61 Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright. No.

19, To His Mistress Going to Bed, line 24 O my America! my new-found land. No. 19, To His Mistress Going to Bed, line 27 Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee, As souls unbodied, bodies unclothed must be, To taste whole joys. If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired , and got, ’twas but a dream of thee. I wonder , by my troth , what thou and I Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then? But sucked on country pleasures , childishly? Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers ’ den? ’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be. If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired , and got, ’twas but a dream of thee. And now good-morrow to our waking souls , Which watch not one another out of fear ; For love , all love of other sights controls, And makes one little room an everywhere. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown, Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, And true plain hearts do in the faces rest; Where can we find two better hemispheres, Without sharp north, without declining west? Whatever dies, was not mixed equally; If our two loves be one, or, thou and I Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die. Of elements, and an angelic sprite . No. 5, line 1 At the round earth's imagin'd corners, blow Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise From death, you numberless infinities Of souls, and to your scattred bodies go. No. 7, line 1 All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies, Despair, law, chance, hath slain. No. 7, line 6 If poisonous minerals, and if that tree, Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us, If lecherous goats, if serpents envious Cannot be damned; alas; why should I be? No.

9, line 1 Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so, For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow, Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me. No. 10, line 1 Thou'rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke. No. 10, line 9 One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. No. 10, line 13 What if this present were the world's last night? No. 13, line 1 Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend. No. 14, line 1 Show me, dear Christ, Thy spouse, so bright and clear. No. 18, line 1 Variable, and therefore miserable condition of man; this minute I was well, and am ill, this minute. I.

Insultus Morbi Primus; The first alteration, the first grudging of the sickness. Man, who is the noblest part of the earth, melts so away as if he were a statue, not of earth, but of snow. II. Actio Læsa; The strength, and the functions of the senses, and other faculties change and fail. It is too little to call man a little world, except God, man is a diminutive to nothing. Man consists of more pieces, more parts, than the world; than the world doth, nay, than the world is. IV. Mediscque Vocatur The physician is sent for Enlarge this meditation upon this great world, man, so far, as to consider the immensity of the creatures this world produces; our creatures are our thoughts, creatures that are born giants; that reach from east to west, from earth to heaven, that do not only bestride all the sea and land, but span the sun and firmament at once; my thoughts reach all, comprehend all.

Inexplicable mystery; I their creator am in a close prison, in a sick bed, anywhere, and any one of my creatures, my thoughts, is with the sun, and beyond the sun, overtakes the sun, and overgoes the sun in one pace, one step, everywhere. IV. Mediscque Vocatur; The physician is sent for. And then as the other world produces serpents, and vipers, malignant, and venomous creatures, and worms , and caterpillars, that endeavour to devour that world produces them, and monsters compiled and complicated of diverse parents, and kinds, so this world, ourselves produces all these in us, in producing diseases and sicknesses of all those sorts; venomous and infectious diseases, feeding and consuming diseases... IV. Mediscque Vocatur; The physician is sent for. I observe the physician, with the same diligence, as he the disease; I see he fears, and I fear with him... VI. Metuit.

The physician is afraid A man that is not afraid of a Lion is afraid of a Cat; not afraid of starving, and yet is afraid of some joint of meat at the table, presented to feed him; not afraid of the sound of drums, and trumpets, and shot, and those, which they seek to drown, the last cries of men, and is afraid of some particular harmonious instrument; so much afraid, as that with any of these the enemy might drive this man, otherwise valiant enough, out of the field. VI. Metuit. The physician is afraid I know not what fear is, nor I know not what it is that I fear now; I fear not the hastening of my death, and yet I do fear the increase of the disease... my weakness is from nature, who hath but her measure, my strength is from God, who possesses and distributes infinitely. VI. Metuit. The physician is afraid Age is a sicknesse, and Youth is an ambush. Meditation 7 Let not one bring Learning, another Diligence, another Religion, but every one bring all. Meditation 7 I do nothing upon myself, and yet am mine own executioner.

Meditation 12 The flea, though he kill none, he does all the harm he can. Meditation 12 Hee drinkes misery, and he tastes happinesse; he mowes misery, and he gleanes happinesse; he journeys in misery, he does but walke in happinesse. Meditation 13 Meditation XVII - Wikisource, the free online library Meditation XVII 25112Meditation XVIIJohn Donne Meditation #17 By John Donne From Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1623), XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris (Now this bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.) Perchance, he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all.

When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness. There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled), which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest.

If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is. The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that this occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world? No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current money, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it.

Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security. Istoria Ministries Blog: No Man Is An Island: The Great Lesson of Friendship from John Donne "I went to Jerusalem to become acquainted (Gk. istoria) with Cephas" - Paul's words from Galatians 1:18. No Man Is An Island: The Great Lesson of Friendship from John Donne Rachelle and I are standing before the church that one of my direct maternal ancestors, John Donne , served as Dean (pastor) from 1631 to 1641. The church is St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England and is an iconic symbol of English Anglicanism . Princess Charles married Diana here before a world-wide television audience in 1981. Three state funerals have been held in St.

Paul's, Lord Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), The Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965). This week the Queen made known the state's desire to give former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the fourth state funeral and burial at St. Paul's. The church was originally built of wood in A.D. 604 in the spot that the massive marbel and stone cathedral now stands, beautifully constructed in 1669 by renowned architect Christopher Wren. Many Americans know little about John Donne, but Rachelle and I, along with our friends Kyle and Carol, were all afforded free entrance and a personal escort within the cathedral when the staff were told of my lineage. In addition, though photographs are forbidden in the cathedral, the staff gave permission for my wife to take my photograph alongside the iconic John Donne monument (see picture to the right). The John Donne statue is the only monument in St. Paul's to survive the Great London Fire of 1666 unscathed.

Though one can still see the black scorch marks of the great fire at the base of the marble, the statue of Donne himself is intact. It seems that John Donne is as iconic to the learned British as the cathedral itself. King James I convinced my ancestor to become the pastor of St. Paul's, even though Donne sought to avoid the Anglican priesthood. John Donne had a very effective pastoral ministry and was considered the finest preacher St. Paul's has ever had (that assessment comes from the senior guide of St. Paul's, not me). Interestingly, John Donne is probably better known for his poetry than his preaching, including the often quoted meditation, even in America, entitled " No Man Is An Island ." "No man is an island, entire of himself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were ... Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." John Donne wrote the above Meditation XVII while he was deathly ill, still serving as pastor of St. Paul's.

It was also during his time of illness that John posed in a death shroud for the sculptor who made the monument that now stands in St. Paul's. As John Donne lay ill, unable to serve his people, he would often hear the funeral bells at St. Paul's toll. He wondered who it was in his congregation that had died. The thought of death, including his own and those he loved, caused him to reflect upon friendship, Mankind, and death. His renaissance thinking that "No Man Is An Island" unto himself is consistent with the teaching of Scripture. Life is all about relationship with God and with God's highest creation - human beings. I bear a great deal of physical resemblance to John Donne, but my desire is to bear even a closer resemblance to his philosophy of life. Friendship is the greatest of all jewels, and God has blessed Rachelle and me with a treasure trove at Emmanuel, Enid and around the world. Posted by

Question: Who said or wrote "No man is an island"?
Answer: JOHN DONNE